Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood

Rural Mom is pleased to welcome back guest reviewer Kari, Mommy to Elodie:

As a parent, I feel like fifty percent of my day is spent feeding my daughter, cleaning up after the meal, or planning for the next meal. With three meals a day, plus snacks, food is a necessary and time consuming part of being a parent, and offers the perfect opportunity for our children to test their independence, making meal times seem more like “food fights.”

With so many developmental milestones and perpetually changing nutritional needs in the first few years of our children’s lives, every parent is bound to encounter a food fight (or two, or ten). “Food Fights,” written by pediatricians Laura A. Jana and Jennifer Shu, is a comprehensive guide to winning those battles, or preventing them from happening in the first place.

Food Fights is a useful reference tool for many topics, such as meal planning for plane trips (“in-flight food fights”, pg.191), what to look for in a Preschool’s meal program (“child care cuisine”, pg. 167), children’s quirky eating habits (“cutting corners”, pg. 18) and even constipation (“constipation consternation”, pg. 239). There are also nutritious and delicious sounding recipes included in the back of the book!

I would also recommend this book as a must-read for new and expecting parents. The book is easy to read in small chunks at a time, so while baby naps, you can bulk up your knowledge on the latest research and practical advice from smart and funny pediatricians. The book covers everything from reflux to food allergies, so for a new parent, it can offer a lot more than just nutrition advice- it can give you the confidence of knowing how to handle different food situations as they arise.

But don’t worry, as informative as the book is, it is also enjoyable to read. The authors clearly know what it is like to have children and level with parents by rating each food fights importance from 1 fork: “time for a truce” to 4 forks: “this means war”. I appreciate that they include ketchup (1 fork), chocolate milk (2 forks) and the 5-second rule (2 forks).

One tip for the Rural Mom to walk away with: There are great benefits to eating meals together as a family. A recent study has shown “that those who eat as a family at least 3 times a week are 12% less likely to be overweight; 20% less likely to eat unhealthy foods…; 24% more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods; and 35% less likely to have disordered eating habits, such as skipping meals, purging, using diet pills, or smoking cigarettes as a way to reduce weight.” (pg. 8) What a simple way to encourage healthy lifelong eating habits in your children!

About the Guest Reviewer: 

Kari is Mommy to Elodie (www.mommytoelodie.tumblr.com), a rambunctious 18 month old and very picky eater! When she is not trying to persuade Elodie to try just one bite of broccoli, she blogs about their life and adventures in sunny San Diego, and the never-ending quest for wellbeing and balance in Mommyhood.

Disclosure: A copy of Food Fights was provided for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my (Kari’s) own.